The expression and semantic-functional manifestations of the singular number of nouns in the Literary Eastern Armenian, Russian and German languages

Abstract

This work explores the expression of the singular form of nouns through a comparison of three languages: Modern Eastern Armenian, Russian, and German. It is presented not only as one aspect of the opposition between singular and plural forms but also as an exploration of the multi-meaningful use of nouns. The study highlights common features of this category in these languages, as well as distinctive characteristics of each. The analysis of numerous examples reveals that each of these three languages, with its specific lexical and grammatical features, tends to use the singular form of the noun more frequently than the plural, giving the concept a broader and more general character. From a semantic perspective, the singular form of the noun is polysemous not only in Armenian but also in German and Russian. From a structural standpoint, both marked and synthetic forms are commonly used.